Selfless
by Another Lone Ranger
Summary: AU-One a creature of Fey, one a creature of Daemon. Enemies before birth. They married for the sake of Peace between their peoples. But Peace is illusive between two people who remain divided...(InuKag(MirSan)
1. Trailer

**A/N:** Yeah, yeah. Yadda yadda yadda--I'm a horrible person...Blah blah blah--you all hate me for this. Ok, now that we're past that, I can get to the good stuff!

This concept I borrowed from a very dear friend of mine, Rogue Pryde. A commercial for my next fic--which I won't start unless you, the readers, give me a GO for it. I really like a concept, it'll be full of romance and action and drama and comedy, all wrapped up in a nice fantasy bow! SO please, Please, PLEASE tell me what you think, ok?

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The Trailer

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For centuries, a devastating war has raged between two races...

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War has been a way of life for us for as long as anyone can remember. Who started it, why it began, has never been fully clear. That information was lost long ago. All we know is that we hate them and they hate us. They have killed our family, and we have killed theirs. Vengeance is what keeps us going. Not tradition. Not history. Not even the future.

I took to venturing out on the battlefield when I was fifteen, to walk among the dead and comfort the dying.

The people call me the Mercy Queen, a vision of promise that led dying soldiers safely into the afterlife. I wish they wouldn't glorify me so. I'm just one girl. One princess.

I walked among them so that I could know it was real. I had spent most of my life in my mother's hall, walking the safe corridors and playing in the chambers. Nothing evil touched the golden halls of the Queen of Fey. It was too safely hidden in the depths of our forest. Too protected by the Fey army. All of the people would sacrifice themselves to save the hall, to save the Queen of the Fey. Their loyalty is absolute.

What Queen could I be if mine was not the same?

I was not the only one who was touched by tragedy. I was not the only one who had lost those who were precious, those never to be replaced. I was not the only one who grieved. I would not hide away in the hall any longer. I would not pretend that the life of the Fey was as glorious and unfettered as the way it had been portrayed in stories and songs. The way that humans thought we were.

They called us Faeries. Small, winged creatures that were born in flowers and played tricks. But that are only the tiny Fey, the stupid Fey. They are the ones with no power of their own, who steal it from the forest and use it for their amusement. They are the wild Fey not bound to our kingdom or our laws.

They aren't welcome in our halls.

I am not one of those stupid Fey. But I wish that I were right now, so that I can escape my fate thanks to ignorance and a short attention span.

* * *

Two young leaders make a sacrifice in order to end the age-old carnage...

* * *

"You don't have to do this Kagome."

In that moment, I hated my mother.

I knew I didn't have to do it. I had known it since I had agreed to this in the first place. I had known it since before I even began thinking about accepting the offer. I didn't have to do it. No one ever said I did. But this wasn't just about me, and what I wanted. This was about my people, my responsibilities as their princess.

I, the Crowned Princess of the Fey, would marry the Dark Prince of the Daemon.

* * *

Father had suggested it because he wanted, more than anyone else, to end the fighting between us. He had lost both of his wives to the war. Then it claimed him three years ago. My half-brother became the king, to rein only for a season before death took him as well. Or rather, the arrow of a Fey took him. 

Now I am alone, the only living son to the house of the Daemon. The Dark Prince Inuyasha. The people look to me for hope, for guidance and protection. I did the only thing I could. I offered peace to the Fey, to my enemy. I offered myself to the princess of the Fey, and she had accepted. Now I prepare for my wedding as if it were my funeral.

* * *

_War may have ended, but that doesn't ensure Peace..._ _

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_

"I am _not_ some scatter-brained Faerie," I declared, pulling myself up striaght and glaring at him with all the indignant anger that bubbled to the surface.

"And I am not some blood-sucking monster," he retorted, glaring at me right back.

"I would have thought princes had better manners," I snapped.

"And here I thought women were to be seen and not heard!"

* * *

"How can you _do_ this?" she cried at me. I stalked from the room, but she was at my heels in a second, taking two steps for my one. She was persistent, I would give her that much, but my word was absolute as the King of all Daemon. 

"They were stealing, so they forfeit the price," I said casually.

"But they're _children_," she emphasized, as if that would make a difference. "You can't cut off their hands!"

"It's the penalty for thievery in my hall," I told her, turning to face her now. "This is not the golden hall of Fey. This is _my_ hall. These walls have been seeped in blood for centuries. These laws have been in place for centuries. Who am _I_ to change them?"

"Forgive me," she said in contempt. "I thought you were the _king_." I scowled, felt my blood boil. "Have you know heart?!"

I snapped then, struck cold by words I, myself, had uttered to my father years before. When I was still an idealistic child and thought that the laws were barbaric. It was before I had been to war. Before I had killed with my own hands. It was before I had seen men ripped apart when they had been protecting me. She threw in my face what I had once been, naive and good-hearted. Why did she keep trying to see good in me?

Perhaps that's why I didn't realize what I was doing until after my hand had already connected with the side of her face.

* * *

But wounds from war can be erased with time...

* * *

I was aware that my heart was beating faster as he stepped closer to me. I didn't know if it was from fear or excitement. I don't know which is worse.

I was aware that we were alone in the dark chamber, and that Sango was too far away to hear me scream, should I feel the need to do so. I took a few steps back, feeling the cold stone wall with my hands, pressing myself to it as flat as I could, but he was there before I could think of a better plan. He was taller, stronger...I could never overpower him.

Did I even want to try?

His eyes were the only thing about him that I could see in the darkness. Gold and dangerous.

My breath caught in my throat and I jumped slightly when I felt his hand touch my arm. It was confusing and frightening. I was hot and cold at once. Most of all, I was afraid.

Something registered on his face then, and I saw the hurt that briefly flickered in his eyes before he stepped away. "I told you once Kagome," he said quietly. "You never have to fear me."

He left me there in a whirlwind of confusion. Through it all, I realized one important thing. I was no longer afraid of my husband. I was afraid of what I felt for him.

* * *

And what was broken can be made whole...

* * *

The princess had moved from my side, moving further into the hall that would be our new home. The other Fey in our party crowded nervously around her, drawing strength from her confident form.

I stayed behind to look around more. I needed to remember the lay-out of the hall, in order to protect my princess more fully. My sword was loose and ready, in case any rash Daemon made a foolish attempt. But even so, I felt no danger around us. This place was as warm and inviting as it had been when I had traveled here in the past.

"You seem to be lost," a silken voice said from my left. I turned confidently...

...I had anticipated some advances from the Daemon staff. Servants of both halls seemed to forget about the years of hatred in the face of a good night's bedding. When I had last been in the Daemon hall, I had been approached much in the like. No interest stayed long, once they realized what I was.

"No," I responded coolly. "I'm just learning the hall, to better service my princess."

"Perhaps I can help?" he offered. I knew what else was implied, but I didn't rise to the bait.

"No," I said, easing off my cloak and shaking out my hair. I saw his eyes focus on my back, and go wide. I knew that he saw what was there, or rather, what wasn't there. No wings. Not a real Fey. I walked moved toward the corridor to catch up with Kagome. "Not so quick to the bed now that you know I'm half human," I said easily as I passed him.

* * *

Even in our darkest moment...

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"What do you want with me?" I asked, staring at my captor with all the hatred in my heart.

My hands were bound behind me to the chair and my feet were tied at the ankles. Had my wings been free, I could have easily lifted myself, but he had been calculating enough to cover them with a heavy blanket. I was trapped, and no one knew I was here.

"Simple, my Queen," he said in an oily voice. "I want you to help me gain the throne."

"Impossible," I laughed. Inside I was starting to get scared. "As long as the King is alive, you can't have the throne."

"That's a situation we'll just have to remedy then."

My blood ran cold. "You want me to help you _kill_ my husband?"

"You can't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind," he said in a small, nagging voice that bit into me. "You can't say you haven't wished him dead before. A pretty Fey like you, forced to marry a Daemon. To live in a dark mountain hall, away from your forest for weeks."

"I wasn't forced," I said acidly. "I made my own choice."

"But it was for Peace, to end a senseless war. It wasn't for your heart. Everyone knows that a Fey only marries for love. What you did was unprecedented by your people."

"It was my choice," I said firmly. I would never regret it again.

"Tell me, my pretty Queen, as your husband even touched you yet?"

"That is something that concerns only myself and my husband!" I growled, face burning.

"Oh, but you're wrong," he laughed. "You have been married for nearly a year. And since no child has come yet..."

Realization dawned on me, helplessly. "Inuyasha will lose the throne..."

"In three days," he laughed again.

* * *

Hope will endure as long as they remain...

* * *

We sat on the shore of the Black Lake together. She sat on the border of the Fey lands and I sat on the border to the Daemon realm. There was barely an inch between us. But it was that inch that divided us not only physically, but also on every other level.

Daemon and Fey. So close together, but so far apart.

I looked over at her.

She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her face turned up to the wind, and I recalled the last time I had really looked at her. It had been different then. I looked at her from on high. The way a prince looks at something beneath him.

She was a Fey then. An enemy. Just a woman. But now I saw her as something else. I wasn't looking at her like a prince. I was a man looking at his wife, and it made me realize that there was no difference between us anymore.

Fey and Daemon. We are the same, just separated by a wall of reserve and anger. Too long divided by war and hatred. It made me wonder, could our people ever really be united?

She turned to look at me, and smiled slightly.

Could _we_ ever be united?

* * *

Selfless...

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One a creature of Fey, one a creature of Daemon. Enemies before birth. They married for the sake of Peace between their peoples. But Peace is illusive between two people who remain divided by the very views they hoped to change.

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**A/N:** Okay people, my trailer. Review and tell me what you think!!!!


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** By popular demand, I bring you the first chapter of my new work! It's going to be alternating perspectives between characters, depending on where my focus is, but I will always have it marked to avoid confusion. I really hope you enjoy this. I love the idea!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha, or anything in thereof. I own this idea, which was actually spawned as a new comic--one I'm still doodling out in my many sketchbooks--but in the meantime thought it would make a cool new project.

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Self-less

Chapter 1

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Kagome

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"You don't have to do this Kagome."

In that moment, I hated my mother.

I knew I didn't have to do it. I had known it since I had agreed to this in the first place. I had known it since before I even began thinking about accepting the offer. I didn't have to do it. No one ever said I did. But this wasn't just about me, and what I wanted. This was about my people, my responsibilities as their princess.

The war between us had raged on too long, too fiercely. Too many of the Fey had lost their lives on the bloody swords of the Daemon. I had lost a father five years before, and a brother just one week ago. His death was what firmed my resolve.

I, the Crowned Princess of the Fey, would marry the Dark Prince of the Daemon.

"You really don't," spoke my cousin from her position behind us. She was third in line for the throne when my brother lived, but now that he was seven days gone, she was to inherit after me. It was a fact that both terrified and embarrassed her.

"It doesn't matter if I have to or not," I said, slightly more forceful than I intended. "I will marry him regardless."

"Oh Kagome," my mother said, tears in her eyes as she turned me to face her. "You are just one girl. You can only do so much."

"And it will not be enough until I can end the war, Mother," I said. It was something I had said reflexively. In truth, I was terrified of my fate. I didn't want to marry a stranger, let alone a Daemon prince. I had never wanted to marry at all.

But my brother was gone now.

Long had we planned in the night when we were small. I would be Queen, and I would make him my heir so that I could travel the world and he could command the Fey army, as he so longed to do. Long had my brother and I plotted secret dreams, lost in the night, never to be whispered again.

After we lost our father, dreams died with him. I would be Queen, and I would go as my mother had. I would rule our people with quiet dignity and grace. My brother joined the army then, though he was only twelve at the time. He grew into a solider, and forgot the games we had used to play.

I was three years older than my brother, though he seemed to mature faster than I did. Our father's death changed him, forced him to age faster. I wanted to remain as I was, but it was impossible. That was when I took to venture out on the battlefield, to walk among the dead and comfort the dying. Something I had done since I was fifteen.

The people called me the Mercy Queen, a vision of promise that led dying soldiers safely into the afterlife. I wish they wouldn't glorify me so. I'm just one girl. One princess.

I walked among them so that I could know it was real. I had spent most of my life in my mother's hall, walking the safe corridors and playing in the chambers. Nothing evil touched the golden halls of the Queen of Fey. It was too safely hidden in the depths of our forest. Too protected by the Fey army. All of the people would sacrifice themselves to save the hall, to save the Queen of the Fey. Their loyalty is absolute.

What Queen could I be if mine was not the same?

I was not the only one who was touched by tragedy. I was not the only one who had lost those who were precious, those never to be replaced. I was not the only one who grieved. I would not hide away in the hall any longer. I would not pretend that the life of the Fey was as glorious and unfettered as the way it had been portrayed in stories and songs. The way that humans thought we were.

They called us Faeries. Small, winged creatures that were born in flowers and played tricks. But that are only the tiny Fey, the stupid Fey. They are the ones with no power of their own, who steal it from the forest and use it for their amusement. They are the wild Fey not bound to our kingdom or our laws.

They aren't welcome in our halls.

I am not one of those stupid Fey. But I wish that I were right now, so that I can escape my fate thanks to ignorance and a short attention span.

My cousin shuffled behind me, clasping her hands behind her back in a costmary hold used by soldiers. I watched her in the mirror, smiling slightly.

Daughter of my mother's only sister. The daughter of a human. Some called her unnatural, a half-breed begot of lower life forms. I had heard whispering in the hall, as I know she has. She never complains, and I have not heard her once comment about the whispers and the stares. In all my life, I have loved none other better than I love my cousin, who has been at my side all of my life.

"Sango," I said softly. She looked up, straightening her spine. Her eyes, a deep shade of brown, stare back at me from the mirror.

"Kagome?" she responds, smiling in her own right. When we were walking among the Fey, she could never address me so informally, despite the blood relation between us.

"Come to me," I said lightly, holding out a hand. She came, her steps barely making a sound across the crushed velvet rug on which she tread. She went to one knee beside me, taking my hand in her own, pressing it lightly to her forehead before rising.

I always loved to watch Sango. Her movements were controlled and fluid, like a cat's. Every muscle honed to the slightest movement, always alert and ready for action. She was lean built, all sinew and bone and soft curves. She never wore the fashions of her station. Instead, she wore the plain tunics and hosen of a solider, dyed to match the forest's colors. Deep greens and browns did her justice, I always thought. Sango was a creature of the forest. Dark brown hair, darker eyes, skin the color of inner bark. Her life was spent on the outskirts of the forest, directing humans through the twisting paths of our home for a modest price, and for information of the human world.

Because of her father, Sango had no wings. She looked in all ways like a human, except for her Fey-pointed ears and her ability to speak the tongues of the forest. Only a creature with Fey blood could speak the language of the Fey, Daemon, and Trees.

Sango was only three seasons older than me, but she held a maturity and sense of reality that far outweighed mine. She had pledged herself to my service when I was sixteen, giving her life, her loyalty, and her sword in my name and no other. She also gave me her love and confidence, which I needed far more than a sword.

I could endure a thousand Daemon swords for Sango.

"What do you wish of me, Princess?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey.

"Tell a girl to bring tea?" I asked with a smile. "I need to calm my nerves."

She grinned. "Of course."

She left the chamber, understanding my need for a moment with my mother without any interruptions. And there had been numerous, since the Daemon messenger had arrived that morning, announcing that the Prince and his people had reached the lake shore and awaited our arrival.

The Black Lake was the border of our kingdoms. A place that even humans feared to near because of the dark magic said to dwell beneath the dark waters. Nothing living was in the lake. It was poison to drink. But it was beautiful at night, deceptively so, to lull the unwary into it's clutches. My wedding was to be held on the shores at nightfall.

"I have to do this, Mother," I said quietly.

"No, you don't," she protested. "There are other ways. Treaties and offerings--"

"That have been tried and failed, over and over, for centuries."

"Then we can think of something else!"

"I already have," I finished. She heard the finality in my voice.

"Your father would hate to see you this way," she said, striking home the blow I had not been sure she would loose. I flinched anyway, knowing she was correct. My father was a firm advocate against the war, but he had wanted me to marry a Fey of good blood. He would never have permitted me to agree to such a bargain as this.

"My father is not here," I reminded. "Because of this war."

My mother shook her head sadly. She looked older as I looked at her, though Fey don't age after a certain time. Our kind is said to be immortal, but the wars had irradiated much of our older ranks. It was rare to see a Fey of more than one hundred in this day.

"I will retired for now," she said quietly. "We leave within the hour."

"Yes, Mother," I said, bowing lightly. She turned to leave, the train of her long black mourning gown drifting behind her. She had worn black much in the past years. First for her parents, then her sister, followed by my father. Now my brother. My mother's eyes, soft hazel, seemed less bright than they had in recent memory. Her skin, less radiant. Her wings didn't shimmer with light. And what beautiful wings my mother had. All the royal family had layered wings of blue and green, like tiny dragonfly wings overlapping into membranes strong enough to carry a full sized creature.

My wings are the same, smaller to fit my size, and sharper cut. I inherited the shape from my father, who had the wings of a strong solider bloodline. I inherited much from my father, his eyes and his hair and his skin, and only few things from my mother. Souta had been like our mother while I, the eldest, was like our father.

I looked at the mirror in front of me again. It was my favorite one, old and gilded in polished wood. It had hung on the wall in my chamber all of my life. Made for a distant aunt many centuries ago when the golden hall was first constructed in the heart of the forest. A hall I would be leaving very soon.

I looked at the mirror, and wished I knew what my father would say. I wished I knew what Souta would say. He had often been my voice of reason.

I touched trembling fingers to cold glass and felt my eyes overflow. I hate crying, it's a sign of weakness and lack of sense, but this seemed appropriate. No one could see my shame. No one would know that the Mercy Queen regretted her righteous decision to marry a Daemon she had never met.

* * *

Sango

* * *

I passed my Aunt as I neared the door to the chamber, silver tray in my arms.

She covered it well, but I could see the trace of weeping in her eyes. I saw how her proud head was bent, how her shoulders were hunched. She grieved for a daughter not yet lost, and a son whose funeral pyre was barely cold.

I wish that I had a gift for words more than I have, a more clever tongue. I was never gifted with speech. I was born to fight. I did my speaking with my hands, my sword, and my bow. Kagome understood that, and she never troubled me over my lack of vocabulary. She was fond of my bluntness.

"Take heart, Aunt," I said as I passed her. I did not often use the informal title, and never when there were people who could hear it. The Fey were a proud race, who prided themselves on reserve and tradition. "All is not lost."

"It is lost, Sango," she said with defeat coloring her voice. "Kagome will be the Daemon's sacrifice."

I shook my head as she walked past, knowing she was wrong. Kagome would never be a lamb to the slaughter. There was too much fire in her. Her mother saw only the child in her, not the woman who had usurped that child.

I wrapped my knuckles across the door before pushing it open and walking in. Kagome still stood before the mirror, dressed in the gown she'd wear to her wedding. She was crying, and my heart wrenched.

For as long as I can remember, Kagome has been in my care. My mother died long before I could remember her, and I never knew my human father. My Aunt and her consort loved me as they would their own child, and took me in when others would have cast me out. I was trained to protect the princess, and I swore an oath to defend her with my life. I belonged to Kagome, and she to me. Cousins by blood, but sisters in heart.

Her pain was my pain.

I placed the tray down on a small table and went to her side, falling to one knee as customary, but then rising to my feet. "Kagome," I said searchingly. "Cousin, I beg you, don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she said with a watery chuckle, wiping her eyes with a hand. "I didn't want anyone to see me this way."

"You have every right," I told her. "This is a very unhappy arrangement."

"But one I must make."

"For the good of the Fey," I agreed, but inside I did not. I warred briefly whether I should speak my heart or not, but Kagome had always wished me to speak plain for her. "Would that I could take your place," I said, touching my hand to her arm briefly. It was forbidden to touch a princess without her consent, but Kagome had always schooled me to disobey such rules when we were alone. "I would take your pain in a moment."

"Ah," she said with a smile, tears dried now. "But then you would be the princess, and I would be the solider."

I tugged on a lock of her hair. "You can't be a solider," I said fondly. "You don't have the stomach for it."

Kagome smiled brightly. I smiled back, content that she was brightening. Kagome, my dearest cousin, was the Fey's most precious treasure. We might have gold and gems that rival the realm of humans, but our true power lies within our Queen. My Aunt's reign was waning, consumed by too much grief and war. Kagome's time was coming now, brightened by the prospect of peace, and by the new Queen herself.

I doubt she is even aware of it, how much she is adored by the people. She walks among them daily, loves them so completely. The soldiers fight for her; the people work for her. She is our living future, and I don't think there is a Fey in the forest that would not sacrifice to be in her place, to spare her the darkness that will surely ebb at her after the marriage to the Daemon.

Kagome straightened her back and smoothed her skirt with trembling hands. "I need to ask you something," she began.

"I am yours to command," I remind her. And oath and a promise was made, and I would never break it.

"I ask this, cousin to cousin," she said. Blue eyes looked beseechingly up at me. "Sister to sister." I nodded, prompting her on. "When I leave for my...husband's realm," she nearly choked on the word. My hand found one of hers and squeezed in encouragingly. I knew what she was about to ask as sure as I knew what my answer would be. "Will you...accompany me?"

"Of course, princess," I agreed with a bow.

"To stay," she said, more urgently. "Not just as an escort. I need you to stay with me there or surely I will die for loneliness."

"I have no intention of leaving you alone in the Daemon palace," I told her firmly. "I made an oath to you once, that my life and loyalty are yours above all others. I go where you go, Kagome. My life is yours."

Her blue eyes sparkled once more, then flung her arms around me.

I was startled at first. She had not evoked such a physical action in years. I did not return it, thinking it far too brazen for a solider to embrace the princess. She pulled back a moment later and smiled at me again. Her wings--the beautiful blue-green wings that I have always envied her for--fluttered in her joy.

"Come," I said, smiling again. "I have brought your tea. Drink before it gets cold."

"Join me?" she asked.

"I have to finish packing for the trip," I reminded her. She nodded and left the mirror in favor of the screen across the room to change from her gown.

I sighed, just a little bit jealous.

Kagome is beauty. I don't mean just pretty, or just inner beauty. She is one of the Faerie maidens of old, that human men had spent their lives trying to paint and describe. The kind that struck mortals blind. Songs and poems, verse upon verse written in the name of faceless Faerie Queens and fey maidens that paled in comparison to my cousin.

Every movement she made was just graceful enough to make her float. The shadows were kind, the light was kinder, and the moonlight shined for Kagome alone. Her black hair, her blue eyes, her alabaster skin...beauty unparalleled by any creature in the forest, or the human realm, and even the Daemon kingdom.

She was innocent of it, of course. And even if she knew, her heart was too kind to ever use it in any kind of game or advantage. She was purity in it's element. Without her light, even the golden hall would surely seem dark.

"Sango?" she asked. I snapped my head around, breaking my concentration as I looked over to the screen. Her wedding gown was hanging neatly over the top and she emerged from the screen in one of her usual dresses.

"Yes?" I asked, stepping to the screen and removing the gown. I rang a small bell on the door so a servant would come and fetch it to be packed on the carriage.

"You have been to the Daemon realm," she said thoughtfully, taking a dainty seat and preparing her tea.

"Twice," I said easily, opening the door for the small servant Fey and handing her the precious gown. Then I closed the door and crossed the spacious chamber to her bed. A large trunk sat open at the bottom, and various gowns were strewn across the bed. My Aunt had been digging again, picking what was accustomed a princess of Fey rather than what Kagome would wear.

"Tell me what it's like," she begged.

I had told her several times since her agreement to marry the prince, but I would tell her as many times as she needed to hear. To ease her fears.

"It is not so horrible as the rumors say," I told her, picking up a deep green gown that I knew was my Uncle's favorite. "It's not as lush as the forest, trees there are scarce and small, but the land is green and full of hills and streams."

"But there are rocks, aren't there?"

I smiled, packing another gown. "Yes, there are rocks. Mountains the humans call them. Great hills of stone, covered with ice at the peaks. There is land between them, and that land is green. The great Daemon palace is within the heart of the largest mountain. It's carved in the heart, where it's warm, and the halls are polished smooth. It is not very much different from the golden hall."

"I'm sure it's very different," she grumbled, drinking her tea.

I laughed. "I suppose it is," I relented. "But it's very beautiful. At night, you can hear the wolves howl in the valleys, and falcons roost in the very windows of the palace."

"Real falcons? Up close?" Kagome leaned forward in her seat. Her love of birds was widely known, especially her love of the large birds of prey. But only the rare hawk ever traveled into the Fey forest.

"Yes," I told her with a nod. "And many other creatures live up there as well. I'm sure you could speak to them all." I saw her smile, and knew that she was plotting adventures already.

"I'm sure it will be much better with you there," she said, blushing faintly.

I smiled. "I go where you go, princess."

"Always?" she ventured meekly.

I snapped the lid of her trunk firmly. "Always," I agreed. Her smile contented me.

There was a knock at the chamber door and a servant appeared. "Forgive me, princess," she said remorsefully. "The carriage is ready and your mother bids you time to depart."

I saw Kagome gather her strength. "Thank you," she mustered, nodding her head in dismissal. The teary-eyed servant practically bolted from the room. Kagome would sorely be missed here.

"Come, cousin," I beckoned regally. "We can't keep your mother waiting."

"Heavens not," she agreed. I rang the bell for a servant to come for the trunk. "Sango?" she asked again.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Have you...ever seen the prince of the Daemon?"

I was surprised. She had not asked about the Dark Prince. I don't think it really mattered to her what he looked like, she would go through with the wedding to a faceless man for the sake of her people.

"I saw him, once," I answered. "It was nearly fours years ago, and it was only briefly that I was before his father when accompanying a trading caravan. He stood beside his father's throne, and my eyes were mostly downcast."

"Tell me," she asked, a note of desperate urgency in her voice. The servant came for the trunk. I waited until he was gone before continuing.

"Young," I said, recalling the memory. "Perhaps only two or three years older than you. Fair, in skin and hair. I was not close enough to see his eyes. He held himself like a prince, with all the posh arrogance afforded to the title."

"He didn't...look like a demon?" she questioned, and I realized the intent of her questions. She was becoming afraid now that the wedding was here.

"I was too far, dearest princess," I told her. "All I could see were his ears."

"Ears?" she asked, blinking rapidly.

"Like a dog," I said with a half-smile. "Perched on the top if his head. They twitched when I spoke."

"Is that all?"

"That I can remember," I said apologetically.

"Thank you Sango," she said, nodding with a forced smile. "I'm ready now."

I knew she wasn't. I knew her well enough to know that she was far from ready to do anything, but there was no dissuading Kagome from a task she had appointed herself. The best I could do was go with her, offer her my unwavering support and devotion.

We left the golden hall, passing those who lived there with smiles and nods in regard to their tears and anguish. They didn't want Kagome to leave. They would all-too-willingly go back to war if she so much as hinted she was unhappy with her arrangement. Kagome held strong in the face of her people's fear, and I felt I could do nothing but the same.

The carriage awaited us outside of the hall. In the place of horses stood a pair of stags, their tines reaching for the dying sky, ready to pull us to the site of Kagome's wedding. My Aunt was already in the carriage as I assisted Kagome to enter. I would have taken a stag and ridden beside the carriage, as was I accustomed to doing, but Kagome beckoned me inside.

How could I deny her one thing before she sacrificed so much?

* * *

**A/N:** Here it is, the first official chapter! The next chapter introduces my other two main characters (but like I said, perspective changes depending on the focus, so others might get a chance to narrate briefly, and not just those four). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review to let me know what you think! 


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I could wait until I've finished Miroku's first part, but I figure I should update _something_ before I get killed from all the "impatient faeries" out there. I'm sorry it's taking forever, but I had midterms, and crap in January. Then I've been doing the whole "college" thing, and I turned 18 (yay me for being legal!). But I've been accepted to college, so I can slack off more in school. Expect more writing on this story, and if I can swing it, I want to update _Seeking Solace _by the end of the week. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or anything else of that nature. I own only my ideas and my dignity. In your face censorship!

* * *

Self-less

Chapter 2

* * *

Inuyasha

I don't think anyone in the world could understand the frustration that a person goes through before marrying a total stranger. Unless, of course, you've done so.

It's like drinking a pint of Black Water. It eats you from the inside out, making you feel hollow and cold and strangely detached from what you once loved dearest in the world.

It's ironic though, since I was the one who had offered this arrangement in the first place. It was Father's idea. I didn't want to do it, naturally. I wanted to find my own bride, a good Daemon who would be loyal and obedient. Now I have to deal with some twitter-brained Fey princess who will, undoubtedly, try and change everything in my world to fit her own means.

Father had suggested it because he wanted, more than anyone else, to end the fighting between us. He had lost both of his wives to the war. Then it claimed him three years ago. My half-brother became the king, to rein only for a season before death took him as well. Or rather, the arrow of a Fey took him.

Now I am alone, the only living son to the house of the Daemon. The Dark Prince Inuyasha. The people look to me for hope, for guidance and protection. I did the only thing I could. I offered peace to the Fey, to my enemy. I offered myself to the princess of the Fey, and she had accepted. Now I prepare for my wedding as if it were my funeral.

It very well could be, for all I know. She could try and poison me on our wedding night, try to have me killed when we return to my palace. Many advisors had tried to dissuade me from this course, because I was the only heir left to our throne. I was too precious to be wasted on a Fey whore who might try to take my life for a righteous cause. I told them all to stop worrying, that I knew what I was doing, that I would be fine.

I'm a very good liar when I try.

The only one who knows my doubts is Miroku, my most loyal council.

He had sat with me in my tent as I waited for the princess and her company to arrive at the lake where our wedding will be held at sundown, but he had left on my command for the thousandth time, to check for signs of the party. Time grows close, and I get more nervous.

I thought I would be more resolved. I thought that this action would give me some kind of peace, firm my vow that I would lose no more of my people to a futile war. But all it does is make me regret my action. It makes me regret that I ever considered this reckless plan.

What had possessed me? Why would I even considered marrying a princess of Fey? I had never seen her, never spoken to her, and now I was going to marry her? What have I done? I've fucked myself...

"My prince," Miroku commented, walking through the flap of the tent. He didn't seem at all annoyed with me, though if I had been in his place, I would be at the end of my short temper by now. "You seem ill at ease." He always has this look of eternal amusement on his face, which just annoys me in most instances, like now.

It was good to get annoyed at him, least I be annoyed with myself. Miroku is often the one to take the brunt of my moods, but he shows no sign of it. I suppose I envy his composure, though I would never tell him that. He's far too smug as it is.

Miroku is a Daemon of some reputation. His appearance makes him seem human; there are no visible signs of magic to him. From his black hair to his sandals, he is all the things that human is. Violet eyes. Rounded ears. Well-built. One could easy mistake him for not being of Daemon blood, but he is truly from a good line of sorcerers. Those who carry their magic within themselves as apposed to showing physical power. The only thing that marks him Daemon at all is a black symbol scrawled into the skin on the back of his neck. The shape of dragon.

He is the last of his line, and has the potential to end that line as well. His family is old blood, like my father's. They had been around together since before recorded time. But as my family has, his has also dwindled.

My family was killed because of the war with the Fey. His was killed because of war within the Daemon. About a hundred years ago or so, as the story goes, another Daemon passed a curse upon Miroku's grandfather as he protected _my_ grandfather from harm. Because of that curse, Miroku carries a powerful curse, one that claimed his grandfather, and his father before him.

Miroku is the closest thing to a friend I have ever had. We've grown up together, known each other all our lives. We've bled for one another, and will continue until one or both of us is dead. His loyalty to the Daemon crown is absolute and I put my trust in his council.

If it wasn't for his one flaw, I would say that Miroku is the perfect advisor.

But alas, good help is hard to find, even if it is centuries old. And Miroku is a lecher to the depths of his bones. Beggars can't be choosers, my father always said, so I keep him at my side when I can control him best.

"It could be because my betrothed has not arrived yet," I commented to him. I had been pacing my tent for nearly an hour now, but I finally sat down to drain a goblet of water. "I think she might yet back out."

"I doubt it," Miroku commented. "The messenger from the golden hall said that the Fey party was leaving within the hour of his departure."

"A lot can happen in an hour," I told him.

"I think perhaps it is you who wants to back out, my prince," he said slyly, smiling at me with a superiority that I felt like decking him for. I didn't of course, but the stars know I wanted to.

Miroku was just behaving as I had always trained him to be, blunt and open. The best advisors are the ones who don't flatter you with a bunch of compliments and subtle hints, they are the ones who tell you what is going on and how they think you should change it. Miroku has a brilliant mind, which is the real reason I have let him live this long in my presence.

"I'm nervous," I confided to him.

"All grooms are, so I'm told," he explained.

"Most grooms see their wives before the wedding," I shot back.

"True," he agreed with a grin. "But even though you haven't, from what I've heard, you've nothing to worry about."

I narrowed my eyes at him, leaning forward. "What have you heard?"

He grinned lazily, like a cat goading his next kill. "I spoke to the messenger we sent to the golden hall. He spoke to the princess himself."

"And?"

Miroku shrugged. "It has always been said that the princess of Fey is very beautiful. He told me that she held herself like a Queen, with all the ridged dignity and reserve it requires."

"Any idiot can learn mannerisms," I bit out. "She could be just another bubble-head who can imitate others, with a pretty face."

"At least she _has_ a pretty face," Miroku commented. "Imagine if she didn't. Then you'd have nothing at all."

I scowled at him. "If she's an idiot, then I _do_ have nothing."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Miroku schooled, shaking his finger at me. "Were she ugly, you'd not want to bed her, and no heir would be born. Because she's beautiful, it will make the _horrible_ task of sleeping with her a little more bearable."

I grinned at him then. "At least I'll have a woman to bed, unlike you."

He frowned. "It's not kingly to flaunt better fortune in front of those with less."

"But I am not a king," I reminded.

"You will be when you marry," Miroku reminded. "Tonight, the Daemon kingdom will accept a Queen, and gain a King."

I bowed my head for a moment, in acknowledgement to my slain brother and father. So many good kings had gone before me. Now I had to live up to their example and lead on. "May she be a worthy Queen," was all I could manage as a reply.

"She is well loved by the Fey," Miroku told me, making himself comfortable. "They respect her, and I have heard even the hardest Fey warrior comment on his love and loyalty. She was the hope of their people, but they seem to think you will eat her in the night, or some such nonsense."

I snorted. "Her people adore her, yet she agrees to this marriage?"

"It probably has to do with her brother," he commented lightly. It was a needle in my side. I had sent that battalion, the one that killed the Prince of the Fey. Fey arms had been moving over the border, despite my messages to the golden hall. I sent them to push them back to their own lands. I didn't know it was the Prince who commanded the small force that was chasing Daemon deserters from their forests.

Now the brother was dead, and the sister was the sacrifice.

"If I had known it was him, I would not have ordered the strike," I told Miroku.

"I know, my prince," he said with a nod. "Had I known myself, I would have advised against it. But we didn't know, and he is dead. We must look to the future now."

"To my wedding," I said. The word left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"If you like, but I was thinking more to the new rule of a post-war kingdom. There is much to be done for our kingdom now that our efforts can be turned inward."

"Like what?" Listening to Miroku talk politics always soothed me, mostly because I tuned out what he was saying. Right now, it gave me something else to concentrate on.

"Well, the damages to our borders," he said after a moment. "We can look to disbanded the rebels at the cliffs. It will win us favor with the people to make them feel safer, since so many of them question what you're doing."

"The rebels at the cliffs," I scoffed. "A rag-tag band that won't stand long against my war-rough battalion."

"But they still loot and kill our own," Miroku reminded. "Because of our war efforts, we haven't had the opportunity to go into the cliffs and remove them, only prevent them from entering the mountain halls."

"You think destroying them will win me favor with the people again? Surely they understand that this is our best shot for peace."

"I'm sure they do, my prince, but it is still unthinkable to them that you, the Dark Prince of the Daemon, would take a Fey for your wife."

I swallowed and shook my head. "It's what my father wanted."

"I know."

We fell silent for a time. I fidgeted more with my clothes, my wedding clothes… Just the thought of what I was about to do made me angry and nervous. Adrenaline pumped through me fiercely.

"My prince," a voice from outside called in.

"Enter," I replied.

An officer I couldn't place came in, bowed to me, then Miroku in turn. When he faced me, his face was grim. "My prince, the Fey party has just arrived lakeside."

My heart plummeted into my stomach. She'd come after all. I was about to get married, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Very good," I said, not giving away my thoughts. "Inform them that the ceremony will begin at moonrise." He bowed and left. Once he was gone, I turned to Miroku. "Moment of truth?"

He grinned. "The moment is fast approaching, my prince, and I think you will survive it quite well." He rose and headed to the door. "I think I'll just mosey over to the Fey party and see what's going on."

"Have fun with the pretty Fey maidens," I told him. "I hope none of them have a good right hook."

"I hope they do," he laughed. "It makes the chase that much better."

I sighed as he left. Now I was alone, without joke or distraction to keep me from my thoughts and my fears. As much as I loathe to admit it, I am afraid. Deathly afraid of what is to come because I have no idea what it will be.

I hate being helpless, and that's what I am right now. Helpless in the face of what I am about to pledge myself to for life. And by my own volition.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Life. Busy. Been Dumped. Working. Class Trip. Life Sucks. Reviewer responses because I want to get back in touch with my fans. And it cheers me up!

For **Nikhilita**: I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

**Lover4Inuyasha:** I don't know why they aren't real. Please don't die, I want you around to review!

**Raji the Stoic:** Thank you.

**Sakurakitsune14: **Sorry for the cliff hanger. I like cliffhangers because it guarantees you'll come back for the next chapter. Here is the next installment, enjoy!

**Amaterasuoomikam: (**that's a mouthful) Don't taunt me and just tell me who you are.

**Enchanted-blood-rose:** I've read a couple stories that have some elements of mine. I just felt like writing one for myself, giving my own spin and touch to it. I try hard making my ideas unique, but other people copy them anyway, so I figured I'd give new life to an old idea. Also, feel free to tell me any dreams you like. I might put one of them in my stories, if that's ok!

**Sarah:** E-mail is too complicated for a lazy person like myself. What's your screen name for instant messenger? (I have MSN and AIM)

**SeaBreeze:** I love when you stick around for my stories! Here's an update for you, hope it's up to standards.

**JadeCatseye:** I must say that I am honored that you'd read my humble work. I've heard nothing but good things about your stuff (which I am ashamed to admit that I haven't read because I barely have time to write anymore, let alone read…) I'm glad you're liking this so far. I have great plans for this story, even if it doesn't seem so grand right now. Also, I know that you took a liking to Tainted Blood so you'll be happy to know I am desperately trying to finish up the next chapter! (I have lost my beta reader and am suffering for it)

**CrazyFORvampires:** I'm glad. Here you go!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. I'm just a high school senior, sitting in my basement, wrapped in a blanket, writing fan fiction the night before senior cut day.

* * *

Self-less

Chapter 3

* * *

Miroku

* * *

I have always considered myself a lover of women.

Now, I don't talk about just Daemon women, as some of my kind are wont to single out. I refer to women in general. Fey, Daemon, and human alike. Each blessed with their own unique beauty, inward or outward, either of which I can easily discover. A gift and a curse.

I come from a long line of men who loved women. One could say that this fact is my family's greatest flaw. It could be said that my family is remembered for their brilliance, or their wisdom, or even their mystical powers, all of which were extremely honed for service to the Daemon crown. But alas, when anyone is questioned about my family, our one imperfection is what makes us infamous.

The Dark Prince, my master, friend and favorite victim, has time and again expressed to me his opinion on the matter of my habits. I try his patience and temper, neither of which has much restraint. He truly believes that it is within my powers of control to stop!

Despite his annoyance with me, I was still made his personal advisor some years ago. Secretly, I believe this reason was more for his own comfort than for my skills at politics. The two of us grew up alongside one another in the stone palace, the younger son of a king and the advisor's heir. There are not many who can speak with him as I do, not many he can confide in.

Inuyasha finds peace in my company, and we share a trust. Something not easily given in times of war. Especially in the dark halls, where there are always ears to listen and eyes to see.

It is not always easy being the advisor to this stubborn, quick-tempered prince. He was always pig-headed when we were boys and not much changed in him as we grew to manhood. He, the Dark Prince, the second born, took to soldiering while his brother, the True Prince, the original heir to the Daemon throne, took to politics. Inuyasha has always been better at talking with his claws than with his mouth.

A primitive trait in most circles of nobility. Personally, I found it comforting. A true leader should be more than brilliant--and though Inuyasha might not be the brightest candle in the holder, he's far from idiotic--he must also be a warrior.

I suppose that is why our people have faith in him, our new King.

He scowls at the title, though I think it fitting. A Daemon is only crowned a king during his wedding ceremony. A tradition that was instated to our people even before the war began.

The other law, the later law, came because of the war. That a king must produce an heir within a year of crowning, or it passes to the closest relative. So that there would always be a king, or queen, to come if our present monarch was dethroned.

It's just one more obligation in a long line of obligations that fall upon the shoulders of our new ruler. And yet another thing that I have to remember to remind him of.

Being an advisor is not as glamorous as one might think it is. I am given the wonderful tasks of keeping the King's schedule, making him aware of all the happenings in his realm, helping him make decisions, helping with the planning of battles and strategies…the list goes on. It's quite a bit of work, to be honest.

But I do enjoy it.

Mostly because I can indulge in my favorite activities all I want. Flirting with courtly women, annoying Inuyasha, and being nosey. I was born with an intense sense of curiosity, which makes me wonderful at finding out all kinds of information for my King.

For this very reason--and because I had to satisfy my own curiosity--I had to witness the arrival of the princess of Fey. My friend's future wife and my future Queen.

The train or carriages from the golden hall arrived on the far side of the lake, opposite our camp. The ceremony would take place on the lakeside, on the boundary separating our kingdoms from one another. Fey were buzzing around hectically, preparing for her arrival.

The princess was in the final carriage of the train, pulled by four snow white stags. It halted before the largest of the tents. I moved in for a closer look, thankful for both my human-like appearance and the flightiness of the Fey, since no one noticed a Daemon moving among them.

Attendants raced around, unpacking trunks of luggage and opening the doors. From within first came the Queen of the Fey. Aged, but still beautiful. She was dressed regally, holding herself straight and arrogant as she accepted the hand of a driver and stepped down. Her manner didn't fool me, though. I could see the redness of her eyes and the set of her shoulders. She mourned the loss of her daughter.

The second to step out from the carriage was like a sucker punch to my gut. Robed in a deep earthen brown, a graceful, willowy figure stepped to the grown and surveyed the camp. She shook back the hood of her cloak, allowing a long fall of dark hair to surround her shoulders. All ivory skin and fluid movements.

It took some seconds before I felt my breathing return to me. I thought for sure that she was the princess herself, though she dressed more like a scout than a monarch. Her head turned in my direction and her gaze met mine for an instant before she turned back to the carriage. I felt the air crackle around me when our gazes had connected. An intense feeling of domination, a silent communication.

She knew what I was, and I had better not try anything.

I knew then that she wasn't the princess. She was a guard, a very beautiful and intimidating guard.

When she turned back to the carriage, she held out her hand to the final rider. The princess of the Fey.

She was smaller than I though she would be, and much more beautiful. I felt the very air around me still as all the Fey turned to see their princess arrive. One by one, they fell to their knees in respect and welcome. I hid myself out of sight and continued to watch.

There was no great speech or gesture. All she did was smile to them, a smile that would make the moon herself envious, and bid them rise with a nod of her elegant head. A dark-haired Aphrodite, I though to myself as she walked past her people and into the large tent to prepare. She didn't hold her head high because of learned manner, or move with a jerky rhythm of practice.

There was intelligence in her eyes, as well as kindness. A princess of worth.

Not only was I a judge of beauty among women, I was also a judge of character. I saw she was of a gentle nature, but the set of her jaw and the curve of her spine showed she did not easily submit. A fine wife for my friend, if I would be so bold. He would need one with spunk.

Her guardian hovered a space or two behind her, scanning the area again for danger. Our gazes met once more, and this time she was more menacing with her quiet meaning. I watched until she disappeared, then headed back for my own camp.

Some other of the Daemon had snuck to the Fey camp to catch a glimpse of the Fey princess, and each of them, I could see, came away with a newfound impression of her. Great beauty often clouded a man's judgment.

My father once told me that even the strongest and smartest of men can be swayed by a woman, and I think no truer statement has ever been spoken. I just hope that my prince--my _King_--will be swayed for the better by this woman, instead of the worse.

Once I was in camp, I burst into his tent, throwing the flap aside. "My prince!" I exclaimed, as protocol demands. He jumped and whirled on my entry.

"What is it?" he demeaned, a growl in his voice.

I only smirked--he still thinks now and then that he can intimidate me--and said, "I have returned from the Fey camp."

"You've seen her?" he asked, curiosity alighting within him.

"I have," I said, seating myself across from him. "And I can honestly say that you have nothing to fear in her."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she is exceptionally lovely. A walking goddess," I said as clearly as I could. "And in a few minutes, you'll be married to her."

"I told you before--"

"And she's no idiot," I injected, cutting off his protests. "Trust me when I tell you that this woman will be more than enough for you, intellectually."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're smug," he stated. "Why?"

I grinned easily. "I saw your bride before you, why shouldn't I be smug?"

"There is more to it," he pressed. Then his eyes widened. "You met a Fey maiden, haven't you?"

"What?"

"Don't play innocent with me! I know that look. You've decided on a new conquest, and since you've only been to the Fey camp and back, and since you've been at _this_ camp all day without finding anyone to your satisfaction, it _has_ to be a Fey."

Sometimes I have to applaud him. He's a sharp one, my Dark Prince. "Your princess is guarded by the most exquisite creature I have had the pleasure of looking on," I told him. "A warrior woman, and a beautiful one at that."

"You'd best be careful then," Inuyasha commented, turned away from me. "She might be too good a warrior, and cut off your solider if you bother her too much."

I winced slightly at the thought and fixed him with a heated expression. Well, I fixed his back with one at any rate. "I don't intend to attack her," I grumbled.

"Of course not," he shot back. "You'll just grope her a few times, then ask her to bear your children, as you do to every other woman you meet."

I brooded now. This meeting was reversing on me and I didn't like it. Inuyasha turned to look at me and gloat. I glared back, rubbing my wrist as I did so. His eyes fell to see the movement and sobered.

"Does it hurt?"

"What?" I asked.

"Your arm," he clarified. I looked down, barely realizing I had been touching it at all. I looked at my hand, the covered hand, and felt the old hollow feeling in my chest.

It was an old wound, one I was given on the death of my father, who received it on the death of his. A curse, passed down from male heir to male heir in my family when one died. It began as a punishment, I believe. The story about it's origin are very old, and not all pieced together when my father explained it to me. (He was not a historian.)

A man in our family tried to banish a very powerful Daemon from the stone palace when he made an attempt on the King's life. The Daemon turned on my ancestor. Now that the Daemon was banished, his life would be spent in an abysmal state of loneliness and nothingness. In turn, he visited that upon my ancestor, cursing him to carry a small piece of an empty void with him the rest of his days.

It began like a pin prick, but it grew with each passing year. Growing larger, consuming more of his hand until there was nothing left. Until he was nothing left. And when my ancestor was eaten by his own curse, it was passed to his son, and then to his son, down through the family. Until this day. Until me.

As far as I'm aware, there is no cure for it. No reversal. Eventually, the curse will consume me as well. All I can truly do is live the life I have. Perhaps I won't have a son, and let the curse die with me. Perhaps I will have a son and the choice will be given to him.

Another part of the story says that, as a taunt, each member of my family will find love and have a male heir to carry on the curse. The choice is left to each of us. Love, or martyrdom? Since I haven't found love, I consider the latter.

As of this time, all I can do is try not to agitate my curse into spreading faster. Already the hole is the size of a walnut. The larger it grows, the smaller my lifespan. A frightening thing, really.

"No, it doesn't hurt." I looked up at Inuyasha, who watched me sadly. I was moved to pity. He had lost so many people around him, and there was the knowledge that I would, too, be lost. He would be alone then, and it made me sad for him.

"Good," was his grumble. Never would he let on how much he would miss me, but I know. I've always known.

"My lord," a voice from outside called.

"Enter," Inuyasha called back. One of the servants from outside entered, bowing.

"Forgive the intrusion. We received the missive from the Fey camp, my lord. The princess is ready to begin. The priestess is ready on the banks. Shall we proceed with the ceremony?"

A tense second past when the air grew heavy. The final moment of truth. What answer given now was the final truth, never to be undone. He would marry tonight, or he would not.

"Tell them I'm ready," he said firmly. "I'll be to the bank shortly."

The servant bowed and left. I turned to Inuyasha and stood. Walking over, I helped him smooth the wrinkles from his formal clothing--which hadn't been worn since his brother's wedding and coronation--and adjust his appearance.

"I believe now is the time," I said to him with a sigh. "Come, I will stand with you."

"Will you?" he asked, the tone of his voice betraying the doubt he had.

"Of course, my prince," I grinned. "I wouldn't miss the look on your face when you see her for anything."

"Sometimes…I truly hate you," he grumbled, and we were off. To the wedding centuries in the making.

* * *

**A/N:** R & R people. It's what gives me a happy and makes me write! (P.S.: Forgive whatever spelling and/or grammatical errors there are in this chapter and the rest of the story. I have lost my beta reader and I'm pretty much hopeless without one for input and proof-reading) 


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Just had to write this chapter, not only to appease my LOVING fans, but also to rub in the face of my NOT SO LOVING readers that my story is liked--if not by you, then by others. Special thanks to Ewan McGregor, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and (the man) Walt Disney. Without them, this chapter might never have been written.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha, or anything related to the creative rights of the idea

* * *

Self-less

Chapter 4

* * *

Kagome

* * *

All of my life I had been fed stories about nervous brides and anxious grooms; stories about perfect weddings and living happily ever after. Ideas of true love has always danced in my head, of finding my one true mate and living out my life with him.

Everyone knows that a Fey only falls in love once, for all the length of their lives. There are few who actually find their true mate, the one they dream of as a child when the soul is young and the memory of its partner is still fresh. Still, there are those who do find them, and I had hoped to be one of them. Now, I have no hope of that.

Not even a hope of falling in love at all.

I am going to be married, and will rule peacefully for as long as I can. I will be a dutiful and loyal wife. I will be a dutiful and loyal Queen.

Hopefully that will content my aching soul.

"Kagome," Sango spoke from beside me. "It's almost time."

I nodded. "Yes, so it is."

"You look lovely," she offered, smiling softly. I looked down at the spider-silk gown that my mother had tailored for me. Delicate and soft, and unique made just for me. I pulled the long white gloves over my bare arms, up to my elbows, covering my shaking hands.

"It's a very pretty gown," I told my cousin. I looked over at her and smiled. "You look wonderful as well."

And she did, dressed in a long fawn tunic decorated with golden embroidery and the crest of the Fey court. Her jeweled sword was belted to her slim waist and a circlet of gold rested on her brow. Her long brown hair was plaited intricately to the nape of her neck where it then hung freely.

There had been a time when she was forced to wear a pair of false wings when attending a ceremony of state, but I abolished that as soon as I was old enough. She was a solider, and of royal blood. I would never subject her to such mockery.

"I thank you for the honor," she replied with a bow.

Since I was robbed of both my brother and my father, I had asked Sango to play the part of my escort. She would be the one to give me to my husband at the altar. I could tell she was feeling a bit awkward about the request, but she would not refuse me, and apart from my mother, she was my only family.

"Is my mother coming in before we leave?" I asked, half hoping and half dreading it. I wanted the comfort of my mother's presence, but if she came, I knew she would only try once again to persuade me against my decision.

"No," Sango confirmed with a shake of her head. "She has left with the rest of the court to the ceremony already. Only a handful of guards stayed behind with us."

I nodded my head and hugged myself. Butterflies turned my stomach upside down. I had thought I would be over the shock by now, but it was still fresh within my blood. Sango drew closer, sensing my need for her nearness. I needed someone nearby who loved me.

"Come, Kagome," she whispered. "It's time."

As she said the words, she placed a crown of white roses and lilies atop my head. The gossamer veil fell over my face. When I felt the slight weight of it, I felt like crying. And not a soft weep or a sniffle, but a heart-wrenching, strangled cry.

All of my life I had been raised to do what was bested best for my people, because I was their princess. But I am only one girl, only a Fey maiden. I had my own dreams, my own wishes for my life.

And now, these beautiful flowers and this beautiful gown were shattering all my hopes. And where the Mercy Queen would walk boldly forward to meet her fate, Kagome would rather hide away and mourn.

"Is this what I'll have to become?" I whispered.

"What?" Sango asked, already making her way toward the opening of the tent.

"Will I have to choose between being a monarch and being a woman?"

Sango was quiet a moment, her hand poised on the opening and her face shadowed. "I think, princess," she said slowly. "That there is no difference. Monarch or woman, you are still one person. You are still Kagome of the Fey." She looked up at me then, a phantom stare in her eyes that told me she understood only too well.

"I am not a princess," Sango continued. "I don't have the decisions or responsibilities of those who rule. I am a warrior, with a warrior's mind. But I am also a woman, with a woman's heart. You just have to find the balance between the queen and the woman, Kagome."

"It will be hard," I told her.

"As all things worth learning are," she responded. Then she held out her hand. "Come away now."

I went to her then, placing my hand in her own and taking that fateful step out of my tent and into the dying light. A palanquin was waiting to carry me the rest of the way to the ceremony, as was a custom. I didn't particularly care for this tradition, but I abided by it. Sango handed me inside as four guardsmen hefted it on to their shoulders.

An altar had been set up on the banks of Black Lake. There was a small wooden arch where a priestess stood beneath it, robed in red and white, the colors of war and peace. The Fey flanked one side of the lake, my mother among them. The Daemon were on the other side.

I noticed one in particular, standing beside the alter altar. He was fair, his features quite striking against the blackness that surrounded him. Maybe it was from the description Sango had given me, or perhaps it was just some innate sense, but I knew that was my husband-to-be. And I felt the bottom fall out of my stomach.

The palanquin was placed on the ground a few yards from the altar. Sango was beside me in an instant, helping me to my feet and escorting me forward. All I could do was move with her, letting her guide me as I held on to her hand.

Before I had my wits about me, we were at the altar. Sango turned me to face her. She pulled the veil from my face, then kissed both my cheeks before giving my hand to the man I was marrying. It happened so fast, too fast, but even so, I saw the tears sparkling in her dark eyes as she stepped back from me and took her place among the Fey.

My wings quivered when I felt the Daemon's hand close over mine. The warmth of it surprised me, but the claws were enough to drive that small comfort away. Still, I couldn't look him in the face. I only looked at our joined hands, but then looked at the priestess as she began to speak.

She used the oldest of tongues – that of the earth before Daemon and Fey split, when there had been one language of magical creatures. She spoke of unity and loyalty, of duty and honor.

To be honest, I can say that I didn't pay much attention to her at all. I listened only enough to repeat back the lines I was asked to repeat and reply to the questions asked of me. Then, at the very end, I was required to finally look at the man beside me. The man who had now become my husband.

He looked back at me with dark yellow eyes.

Tall, I suppose, is the first thing that coherently came into my mind. Taller than Sango even. It was a little strange to me, since Fey never grew very tall. He was young, like Sango had told me, and would have been attractive if there was any expression on his face. As he looked down at me, I saw nothing in his eyes, on his face. Only a blankness that startled me.

As the ceremony dictated, he leaned forward and kissed me softly on the mouth. Normally, such an action would be met with cheers from the onlookers, but the lakeside was silent when our lips met. It was over before I truly knew it had begun, the merest brush of his lips on mine, and then he was away from me.

When we parted, there was tentative applause. The people seemed as if they were roused from a drugged sleep as they clapped and cheered hollowly.

I felt myself shaking again, the realization and finality hitting me all at once. Half of me wanted to cry again, just break down right there and – propriety be damned. Another part of me wanted to rebel. Just break away from everything and everyone around me.

It was selfish of me, to even be thinking of such weaknesses as this. I had to be strong in the face of adversity. I had to be sure and brave.

I had to kill the dreamer in me.

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**A/N:** Mini-chapters, folks. That means more updates for you! Be happy! 


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